Veal Chops with Saffron Orzo and Tomato Sauce

This dish is a summery variation on the Northern Italian pairing of tomato-braised ossobuco and saffron-flavored risotto. Here the delicious classic combination is lightened up with orzo and wilted grape tomatoes.

Preparation

Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté chops, turning over once, until golden and just cooked through, 6 to 7 minutes total. Transfer to a plate.

Add garlic to skillet and cook over moderate heat, stirring, 30 seconds. Stir in wine, tomatoes, rosemary, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper and simmer, gently pressing on tomatoes until they collapse, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook orzo with saffron in a 3-quart saucepan of boiling salted water
until al dente. Drain well in a sieve and return to saucepan, then stir in butter and cheese.

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Recent Review

Made this in about
30 minutes on a week
night-- very tasty.
Two key things,
however: Definitely
use a high-quality
veal chop. The veal
we used had a lot of
connective tissue
and the cooking
process just isn't
long enough to break
it down into
anything edible.
Second, instead of
adding sugar to the
tomatoes, try
balsamic vinegar.
The sweetness cuts
the tartness of the
tomatoes and adds a
nice, nuanced layer
to the flavors. We
did add red pepper
flakes because we
generally like food
a little on the
spicy side. Only
three forks,
however, because
even with doubled
saffron, the orzo
just tasted like
butter and parm on
noodles-- an awfully
expensive starch.